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In this introduction, Bishop Emeritus Sam Jacobs gives us an inside look of what spiritual warfare is, and how we take part in it. This reality of the battle comes with the fight for our souls in the war which God has already won through His son, Jesus Christ. In the end, Christ […]

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The Catholic Teen Bible from Life Teen meets teenagers where they are in their faith walk with authentic, clear and candid language. This teen Bible helps teens grow in their love for the Sacred Scriptures.

Confirmation can transform your life... if you let it, and Confirmation is the sacrament that just keeps giving. Literally. You'll soon realize, after reading this book, that you have been Gifted. Whether or not you unleash these gifts, however, is up to you!

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This is your one stop shop for great Catholic books, community, gifts, events, music, and resources. We are here to serve.

College Life

July 10-12, 2015 @ the University of Arizona in Tucson, AZ

Why come to a Steubenville Conference?

Summers can be overwhelming for Youth Ministers – with so many different events offered that bless the teenage soul, how does a Leader discern which opportunities are the best “fit” for the teens in their specific youth group? When do you take teens to camp for a week and when is the young soul ready for Leadership Training?

The good news is that Life Teen has a little something for every teen and every parish. We’re here to help ensure that all teens – no matter where they are on their faith journey – have an encounter with the God Who loves them and the Church He loved us enough to begin.

Each summer, Life Teen hosts four different Steubenville Youth Conferences (East, West, NYC, and Atlanta) with the hopes of strengthening and inspiring teens and youth groups in their collective journeys to Christ. Evangelistic in nature, these weekend conferences are both a great “introduction” to the Gospel message for new or younger teens, while offering deep and moving experiences of prayer and fellowship for even your Youth Group regulars.

Come let our Life Teen Staff and volunteers spoil you – you work so hard for the teens and their families…let us work hard for you. Give your own spirit the gift of renewal and give your teens the inspiration they need to renew not only your youth group but your entire parish community. Join us for a weekend of engaging liturgies, inspiring music, challenging talks and overwhelming joy.

Experience a Steubenville Conference

Franciscan University of Steubenville offers 21 Conferences total and Life Teen has the pleasure of hosting 4 of those conferences (Atlanta, East, West & NYC). We invite you to come to one of our conference because we believe they offer some unique experiences. Here’s how a Steubenville Conference hosted by Life Teen can benefit you, your teens, and their parents.

Teens

One of St. Augustine’s most famous quotes is, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in you, O Lord.” These words often describe the spiritual angst that teenagers experience throughout their high school years. Every teen has the desire to achieve something great and to be someone great. We see this desire played out on social media daily. At a Steubenville Conference, teens will learn what it takes to be great in this life. Teens will come to experience a relationship with Christ that can radically transform everything in their life. The goal of every Steubenville Conference is for teens to open their hearts to Jesus Christ who desires their lives to be fulfilling, exciting, and joyful!

Youth Ministers

Being a youth minister is one of the most important tasks in the Church today. Throughout the year, youth ministers work tirelessly to evangelize and catechize the teens in their parishes. Attending a Steubenville Conference provides youth ministers the freedom to not have to worry about content preparation and instead focus on the relational ministry that is so necessary in every parish. This conference can be the launching point for discipleship, peer leadership, deeper prayer and a ministry rooted in the sacraments. You just have to get the teens there…and we’ll worry about the rest! Beyond, this weekend Life Teen has dedicated full-time staff to support your ministry throughout the year. We want to help you make sure the seeds that are sown on this weekend are nurtured throughout the year at your parish

Parents

Parents are the “primary catechists” of their teens and this is a daunting task when trying to navigate the ups and downs of a teen’s high school years. Between all the extra curricular commitments and academic obligations it can seem near impossible to make church a priority for teens. A Steubenville Conference often has the ability to give teens the spiritual boost that Catholic parents desire for their teens. Many teens have been known to come back from a Steubenville Conference not only renewed in their faith, but taking the lead to initiate prayer within their own family. Imagine how your teen will feel knowing after a Steubenville Conference that the Church is dynamic, alive, and full of hope just like them.

Speakers and Musicians

Ennie Hickman

With a heart for the marginalized and the forgotten, missionary Ennie Hickman has traveled the United States and abroad for nearly two decades, sharing Jesus Christ with both the churched and the unchurched. As a host of the summer conferences in Steubenville and as a missionary with Adore Ministries, Ennie has helped transform thousands of lives. Currently, Ennie is working to expand his apostolate to the under-served families and young adults in Houston, Texas, where he lives with his wife, Cana, and their six children.

Mark Hart

Mark Hart serves as executive vice president for Life Teen International. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, Mark is an award-winning author of over a dozen books. He has traveled the globe speaking to millions and is the host of Fired Up! on Sirius/XM satellite radio. Mark’s weekly Life Teen audio podcast (available through iTunes) and his video blog, Beyond Words, are helping tens of thousands of souls better prepare for Sunday’s readings. In addition, his popular DVD Bible study series is being used in youth groups and classrooms around the world. He and his wife, Melanie, live in Arizona with their daughters, Hope, Trinity and Faith, and their new son, Josiah.

Josh Blakesley

When Josh Blakesley’s Christian music journey began in 1992, he vowed to be “sold out” for Christ and to use his gift of writing music to glorify God. In a world dominated by well-produced secular music, he has dedicated himself to making quality contemporary Catholic music. He also is committed to spreading the Gospel through dynamic speaking and personal testimony. He has led music for over 10 years at various Steubenville youth conferences throughout the United States. In addition to composing and recording music, Josh serves as young adult coordinator and assistant music director at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church in Alexandria, Louisiana. Josh and his wife, Heather, have two children.

Father Michael Schmitz

Father Michael Schmitz, director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Diocese of Duluth as well as the chaplain for the Newman Center at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, inspires and educates through his priesthood and preaching. His Newman Center focuses on helping students be fed through the sacraments and grow in knowledge about the teachings of the Church. Ordained in 2003 at St. Paul Seminary, he has preached to youth and young adults across the country about the love of God and the call of Jesus Christ for saints to be raised up in the Church. Father Mike’s hope is that these saints will redeem the entire world for Christ.

Jackie Francois Angel

Jackie Francois Angel is a full-time traveling speaker and worship leader from Orange County, California. In 2006, she was signed to SpiritandSong.com, a division of OCP, and debuted her first album, Your Kingdom is Glorious, in 2008. Along with being a blogger and webcast host, Jackie travels around the world preaching, singing, sampling the local cuisine, and attempting to make people laugh. Her sophomore album, Divine Comedy, was released in 2012. Jackie recently married Bobby Angel, who shares her passion for chastity and evangelization.

Matt Regitz

Matt Regitz took an unlikely path to ministry by taking over his struggling home parish youth program in Houston, TX after 5 years as an oilfield salesman. More than a decade later Matt is still sharing the Gospel with the teens at Prince of Peace Church alongside his brother, Dave, while reaching thousands more beyond their parish walls. Matt has an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M and a masters in theology from the University of Saint Thomas. He and his bride, Stephanie, have been blessed with 5 children, but their oldest daughter, Mary Clare, beat them to heaven.

2015 Conference T-Shirts

Pre-Order With Conference Registration

*Shirts will be received at conference check-in.
**Shirts will be sold at conference bookstore while supplies last.

Frequently Asked Questions

Location: University of Arizona

Steubenville West will take place on the campus of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona. Dining will take place at dining halls on campus and housing will be in various dorms on campus as well. Once you arrive on campus, parking officials will guide you to registration. Follow this link for a map of the campus to help with planning. The University of Arizona is located off I-10. Head east on Speedway Blvd. Go straight to Mountain St.

Who can attend Steubenville West?

Great question! Steubenville West is designed for high school students and their adult leaders, 21 and older.

What are the criteria for youth, group leader, and chaperone?

Group Leader: The adult responsible for organizing your trip and serving as the main contact for your group. Written and oral correspondence takes place between the group leader and the conference office. The group leader must be attending the conference and will be responsible for the entire group.

Adult Chaperone: Adult, age 21 +, attending to chaperone the youth. For the safety of the youth and to foster productive small group times, the ratio of adult to youth is 1 adult per 8 youth in your group. We ask that your group not exceed the maximum adult to youth ratio. This weekend is challenging physically and spiritually. It is a time of deep ministry and small group time. We recommend that chaperones feel comfortable directing, sharing with, and praying with youth.

Youth: youth participants in the conference must be entering 9th, 10th, 11th, or 12th grades in the fall of 2015 or have been a 2015 high school graduate.

Can I send my youth alone?

In order to provide the best possible context for fellowship, sharing, ministry, and supervision, the youth conferences handle registration by groups only. No individual registrations will be accepted.

What do I do if I have a food allergy?

If you have a food allergy we need to be aware of (vegetarian, lactose intolerant, wheat/peanut allergy, etc.), please let us know. There is a section that allows you to share this information with us on the registration form. We always do our very best to accommodate your needs; however, it never hurts to bring some snacks just in case.

What is the weather like? How should I dress?

Tucson is very warm during the summer. Dress to be casual, comfortable, and modest.

I am a priest and I would like to concelebrate Mass. What do I need to bring with me?

We would love for you to concelebrate! We ask that you please bring your own vestments as we cannot promise that we will have enough or the correct size. We have a vesting room where you can leave your vestments all weekend.

How do I register?

We are here to make registration easy! Click on the green registration link below to get started. You will reserve your spots online this year and receive confirmation through email. For more detailed registration procedures, click on the registration page. As always, contact us at 404-252-8815 with any questions you may have.

Someone in my group has a special need for housing due to a physical handicap. What should I do?

We will do our very best to help accommodate whatever needs that individual may have. Remember, we can only help as much as you communicate with us. For that reason, please contact the Life Teen office (404-252-8815) as early as possible to explain your need.

I am a chaperone coming to the conference and want to bring my small children; can I do that?

Although we strongly support Catholic family life, our staffing, facility constraints, and insurance regulations do not allow us to provide childcare. Meeting rooms and residence halls are not designed for the care of young children. In addition, the focus of the Adult Chaperones/Group Leader needs to be on the youth participants. If these adults bring their own children, their focus will be split. With the best care of the youth in mind, please refrain from bringing non-participant children with you.

Can we opt to stay off campus? If we do, can you provide transportation for us?

Housing in campus dorms is included in your registration fee. You are more than welcome to stay off campus if you choose. If you are going to stay off campus, please let us know ASAP! We will discount your registration fee by $38/person. We are unable to provide transportation to and from your hotel site if you do this.

How many chaperones do we need to bring?

We require you to have one adult chaperone per eight teenagers. Also remember that if you are bringing male and female teens you MUST have a male and female chaperone. Priests do not count as chaperones.

What about the bus driver?

Your bus driver can be accommodated on the U of A campus in a single dorm room for $70.00 total. You can also rent a room at a nearby hotel. We must know if you need on campus accommodations by June 15, 2014. We will not be able to feed your bus driver on campus. There are quite a few restaurants right around campus. Please make the necessary provisions.

What should I pack?

Each participant should bring clothing appropriate/comfortable for a church function and warm weather, his or her personal items, sleeping bag, pillow, towel, washcloth, Bible, journal, and spending money (many participants like to get things from our bookstore).

Do you have scholarship money available?

We do have a limited amount of scholarship money available. To apply for these funds, contact Mike Smith and Suzi Scanlon-Smith, the Regional Coordinators of this conference.

Who do I contact for more information?

We have a whole team ready to help you! For registration questions, contact Karen Devine at steubenville@lifeteen.com or 404-594-1917. For conference questions, contact Mike Smith and Suzi Scanlon-Smith at steubenvillewest@lifeteen.com. For general Life Teen Events questions, contact Stephen Lenahan at slenahan@lifeteen.com or Sarah Houde at shoude@lifeteen.com. If you ever need to call someone to get your question answered, contact Stephen or Sarah in our Atlanta office at 800-809-3902. We are always ready and able to help!

Registration

Steubenville West is SOLD OUT! Space may become available, so add yourself to the waiting list by clicking the green “Get on the Waiting List” button.

Payment policies, cancellation information, and paperwork information can be found below.

Location

University of Arizona
1401 E University Blvd.
Tucson, AZ 85721
United States

Pricing

Early Bird Cost: $180 (until June 1)Cost after June 1: $195Deposit Amount: $50

Deadline for Payment of Deposit: 2 weeks after registering onlineDeadline for Payment of Final Balance: June 1

More information regarding paperwork and costs can be found below. In order to serve our guests in the best possible way, we have adopted the below registration and cancellation policies for 2015. We will be adhering to these guidelines to allow as many people as possible to have the opportunity to experience Steubenville West.

If you ever need to call someone to get your question answered, contact Stephen or Sarah in our Atlanta office at 800-809-3902. We are always ready and able to help!

Payment Info

If the deposit has not been paid online by credit card, a deposit check must be received in the Life Teen offices no more than 2 weeks after the date you registered online to secure and confirm your spots.

Checks should be made out to Life Teen and mailed to:
Life Teen
Attn: Steubenville West
2222 S. Dobson Rd. Ste. 601
Mesa, Arizona 85202

Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferrable to the final balance.

Final balance payments must be received in the Life Teen offices by June 1, 2015 in order to receive the early bird pricing.

Cancellation Policies

Deposits are non-refundable and non-transferrable to the final balance.

Parishes may drop unneeded spots until June 1, 2015. The $50 deposit will be forfeited, but the remaining balance will not be owed.